It’s no secret that when it comes to cosmetics and beauty every woman wants a brand that makes her look as healthy as possible, and addresses her specific skin conditions. But trying to find the shade that’s perfect for the woman of color’s skin tone with just the right undertones can sometimes be akin to seeking out a needle in a haystack — especially for those with very fair or very dark complexions.
Singer, actress, fashion icon and business mogul Robyn Rihanna Fenty has stepped in with her cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty, which she says bridges that gap.
The Barbadian beauty launched her Fenty Beauty on September 7 in New York City and it is all anyone is talking about in the world of beauty.
She spent two years creating the products and Fenty Beauty is now being touted as a game changer having released 40 shades.
“I wanted things that I love. Then I also wanted things that girls of all skin tones could fall in love with. That was really important for me,” said Rihanna at the launch of her beauty line.
“In every product I was like, there needs to be something for a dark-skinned girl, there needs to be something for a really pale girl, there needs to be something in-between.
“There’s red undertones, green undertones, blue undertones, pink undertones, yellow undertones — you never know, so you want people to appreciate the product and not feel like: oh that’s cute, but it only looks good on her.”
Some of the Fenty Beauty products include the Killawatt freestyle highlighters, the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear foundation in 40 different shades, the Match Stix Trio to conceal, contour and highlight, the Gloss Bomb and more.
Beauty influencers worldwide agree that Fenty Beauty is ushering a new era of inclusivity in the cosmetics world.
And the hype has certainly not missed The Bahamas.
While beauty bloggers, makeup enthusiasts and women in general salivate to get their hands on Fenty Beauty products, they are not yet available for sale in local stores. And one local company has jumped on the early bandwagon and made it easier for Bahamians to have access to the line.
Mr. Ship It has teamed up with Bahamian makeup artist Lucy Lu to make it possible.
Operations Manager Eugene Wright said the idea to market the must-have beauty line was sparked by the high demand from their customer base.
The shipping company invited 200 women to a recent promotional event at the British Colonial Hotel to sample the products first-hand and then be able to order products through them.
Setting the tone for the evening, Rihanna’s greatest hits were piped into the venue as guests sipped on drinks named in honor of the Barbadian beauty’s hit songs featured on the cocktail list. And were able to take advantage of beauty stations at which they were allowed to view, touch and try the product before placing orders.
“What we decided to do was bring the products here for customers and non-customers so they can actually test it out and get the correct shade,” said Wright. “Once you order it, you know you aren’t wasting your money and we have professional makeup artists here so they can tell you which one is right for you.”
Lucy Lu conducted a live makeup demonstration; and customers were given the opportunity to ask question or get tips on how to use the line.
“She is definitely changing the game on makeup, especially here in The Bahamas,” said Lucy Lu.
“We do have an issue where we wear so much makeup and we tend to pile it on. But I noticed with this product, it’s very light, so you can pile it on as much as you like and you are not going to get cake face. That changes the game a whole lot, especially for women of color. We get that natural, runway look. We just need to know how to apply it and that’s what I’m here for.”
Lucy Lu recommended that every female have the Fenty Beauty foundation in her makeup kit, along with one of the six highlighters, noting that the “trophy wife” highlighter is the most popular.
Rachae Duncombe, 22, was excited with what she saw from Fenty beauty.
A woman with a darker complexion, she said finding the perfect shade has always been an issue.
“Overall the products are flawless. The application is very smooth. I like how it feels on my skin, especially the highlighter. Normally you would find that highlighters are usually loud for shades of our color. It has been a very hard time for me to find highlighters to match our skin tone. But with Fenty Beauty, it’s perfect.”
Not only does the makeup line offer options for women of color, it also offers coverage for women of multiple colors as some women have to use different shades of foundations in order to get the necessary coverage.
This is an issue for 26-year-old Jen Cooper.
“It’s always hard because I have like four different shades. My forehead is a different shade from my cheeks, so I don’t even put makeup there. I like that I can try something that will be able to blend my whole face together, so I think Fenty Beauty will be the best choice.”
While some may feel that Fenty Beauty’s popularity is the rage because of Rihanna’s superstar status, Bahamian beauty blogger Ashley Whitney thinks otherwise.
“Anything Rihanna puts her name on people automatically want to jump on it. But what makes Fenty Beauty so special is it is inclusive of every race, every color, every shade … just everything.
“The fact that Rihanna came out with 40 shades and she really took her time and thought about every single person — from the whitest of the white, the albinos; to the darkest of the dark, that is absolutely ground breaking.:
Whitney says it’s not just the brand of the product but the quality of it and that Rihanna has proven time and time again that her name means quality.
“Her perfumes — amazing! Her fashion collection — amazing! Fenty Beauty — amazing!”